The MataBlog is edited by Matador Records’ co-moaner Gerard Cosloy and individual entries are the work of whoever’s name is next to them. If you enjoyed something in the MataBlog, thank you very much! If there was something you found particularly troubling, please be advised that a) maybe you should read it again and b) the contents of this blog do not necessarily represent the opinions of Matador Records, Beggars Group, the combined staff of either company, nor the Matador artist roster. Opinions are like friends — hardly anyone has one worth listening to.

Our favourite child of radiant light returns to European shores this June – playing a short run of festival and headline shows. Perfume Genius’ new album ‘No Shape’ will be released by Matador worldwide on May 5th.

“Compiling Ends with And has been like stumbling upon a long forgotten time capsule and trying to put the pieces in order. I hadn’t heard most of the songs in a very long time. I pored over hours of unlabeled cassette demos, odd test pressings, and DAT tapes. A few of the live recordings and bonus tracks were hard to find - I knew that they existed but I had lost copies, but luckily a few kind souls had stored tapes in dusty basements and attics in various parts of the country. It’s good to know that these songs will all be in one place now.” - Mary Timony

Trying to describe the creative shadow cast by Mary Timony & Helium is a fun task, but one that's far better served by Matador FINALLY GETTING AROUND to reissuing 1995's breakthrough 'The Dirt Of Luck' and 1997's 'The Magic City' (coupled with the tracks from the 'No Guitars' EP) on LP/digital, plus a 2 LP, 19 song singles & rarities compilation, 'Ends with And', featuring 3 previously unreleased demo versions ("Superball", "Ghost Car", "Leon's Space Song") and one, never-before-heard composition, "Golden Bridge". Packaging and liner notes to all of the above are pretty killer and whether you've been following Helium since their ascent in the Boston scene a couple of decades ago or you've more recently found yourself blown away by Mary's solo work or subsequent stints in Wild Flag and Ex Hex, we're not-so-quietly confident you need these titles on your turntable and in your head.

Preorder links to ala carte and/or bundled versions of the LP's can be found below, and there's an tote bag option as well.

In June, Mary has confirmed a run of East Coast and Midwest dates billed as "Mary Timony plays Helium", and will feature members of Hospitality (Brian Bettencourt and David Christian) as her rhythm section., Tickets go on-sale tomorrow at noon, March 24th (venue links below).

Before we getting into the goods (tour news), I'm here to remind you to tune into KCRW today at 11:15am PT to catch the band's Apogee Session. The performance will be streaming WORLDWIDE at http://kcrw.co/2nbCW4o. UPDATE - view the session in full HERE.

Ok, back to the goods - a LARGE amount of new tour dates that will be on sale this Friday at 10am EST - minus Savannah. You can find all confirmed tour dates below.

More good news, mean it. A piano version of "Good News" (off Sprained Ankle) is available to stream and download HERE as party of Our First 100 Days. The project was started in conjunction with Secretly Group and 30 Songs, 30 Days. The money earned will go to organizations involved with women's rights, immigration, fairness and climate change.

Perfume Genius, nom de poster+wraith of musician Mike Hadreas, will release his fourth album, 'No Shape', May 5 on Matador Records. The album was recorded in Los Angeles, produced by Blake Mills, mixed by Shawn Everett.

The video for the first single, “Slip Away,” was directed by longtime Bjork collaborator Andrew Thomas Huang and is co-presented by The Fader, whose current Perfume Genius cover story is a peek into his mindset upon completing the album in January.

Perfume Genius’s 2014 breakout album 'Too Bright'—called “awe-inspiring, magnificent” by NPR—marked a musical and performative leap that sounds unlike anything before or since. With his new songs, he goes even further, merging church music, makeout music, R&B, art pop, krautrock, and queer soul into his take on stadium anthems.

Of the album, Hadreas says: “I pay my rent. I’m approaching health. The things that are bothering me personally now are less clear, more confusing. I don’t think I really figured them out with these songs. There’s something freeing about how I don’t have it figured out. Unpacking little morsels, magnifying my discomfort, wading through buried harm, laughing at or digging in to the embarrassing drama of it all. I may never come out the other side but it’s invigorating to try and hopefully, ultimately helpful. I think a lot of them are about trying to be happy in the face of whatever bullshit I created for myself or how horrible everything and everyone is.”

In a bio for the album, writer Choire Sicha says, “God is all around actually and some of these songs are about being equal and some are about the witchcraft of believing. This is church music the same way Prince’s Black Album is — too dirty. It’s femme art pop the way Kate Bush’s The Dreaming is — too scary.”

On the heels of last week's national TV appearances and the past 3 nights at the former Emo's building, re-dubbed "Eno's" for the occasion, Spoon commemorate today's release of their insanely well-reviewed'Hot Thoughts' with an appearance in the parking lot of Austin's Waterloo Records at 6pm. After that, a sick global touring run commences (see below) and if this week's gigs are any measure, you're gonna see a band at the absolute peak of their powers. A few of us have spent a VERY LONG TIME following this band and it's no hype job whatsoever to say that in 2017, Spoon not only still have the capacity to stun & surprise, they might only just be getting started.

Just a reminder that today (March 17) marks the re-release of Julien Baker's amazing 'Sprained Ankle' LP/CD (in all territories save for North America and Australia) along with the new "Funeral Pyre" b/w "Distant Solar Systems" 7" here in the USA and Canada (said 7" is included in the international LP editions of 'Sprained Ankle' and can be streamed or downloaded everywhere). Julien's got an ambitious tour schedule for the rest of the year with shows both enormo and intimate ; details can be found below.

This Saturday afternoon, in what's become an annual March tradition even more cherished than boring the fuck out of strangers with talk of "brackets" and feeble excuses why SXSW prevented you from doing your goddamn day job, Yo La Tengo will return to the studios of Jersey City's WFMU -- a broadcaster recently deemed by one member of label ownership, "kind of ok, if you're into that sort of thing" --- and will attempt to perform the cover songs of your choice for a donation of $100.

Ira, Georgia and James will invade the 3pm-6pm eastern time-slot occupied by Todd-o-phonic Todd (a dj so unique, when they made him, they broke the mold) to accept your challenge(s). The program will co-hosted by Gaylord Field (a dj so unique, when they made him, they broke the mold-maker). Funds raised from this endeavor and the rest of WFMU's march marathon will enable Todd to interview AC/DC's Phil Rudd the following Saturday, perhaps gleaning some insight into the drummer's much-publicized legal troubles (I'M NOT MAKING ONE WORD OF THIS UP). Thank you.

This past Thursday night on CBS' "The Late Late Show With James Corden", Spoon debuted "I Ain't The One" from the forthcoming 'Hot Thoughts'. There were also appearances by John Goodman, a sloth and Chris Lombardi, not necessarily in that order, but we are only allowed to share a clip of the Spoon appearance (above).

Tonight at Rough Trade NYC, (64 N. 9th Street), you can pre-order the clear vinyl version of 'Hot Thoughts' and listen to the full album 4 days early in the comfort of the SONOS Listening Room. There's artwork on display by Christine Messersmith, free snacks, and a chance to win other, as yet unspecified prizes (which is not to say the snacks aren't going to be overwhelming)

Spoon on your television screens twice in quick succession? Anyone would think we have a new record coming. See the band do what they do best tonight at 12:37am / 11:37pm Central, on James Corden's Late Late show.

While you're here, catch their scintillating performance of first single 'Hot Thoughts' from last night's Jimmy Kimmel, below:

Is the above headline self-explanatory enough? If not, our society is surely doomed! As we're a mere 9 days away from the release of Spoon's 'Hot Thoughts', catch the band tonight via the glories of terrestrial television as they appear alongside fellow cultural mavens Brie Larson and Kal Penn on the American Broadcasting Company's "Jimmy Kimmel Live".

ABOUT

The MataBlog is edited by Matador Records’ co-moaner Gerard Cosloy and individual entries are the work of whoever’s name is next to them. If you enjoyed something in the MataBlog, thank you very much! If there was something you found particularly troubling, please be advised that a) maybe you should read it again and b) the contents of this blog do not necessarily represent the opinions of Matador Records, Beggars Group, the combined staff of either company, nor the Matador artist roster. Opinions are like friends — hardly anyone has one worth listening to.